Kim C. - I liked the book until the rather melodramatic ending. Also noticed that there were some lines which seemed to come, almost word for word, from certain bluegrass songs about relationships (and they weren't part of songs in the book, just narrative!).

I also ran across an article on old timey fiddler/banjoist Tommy Jarrel in which he tells a story about a 14-year-old girl cousin getting burned and how she requested he play the banjo for her before she died - much like Stobrod plays the fiddle for the dying girl.

I suspect the author of Cold Mountain is really into old timey and bluegrass music. That said, however, the idea that old timey music as we know it today would be authentic for a Civil War era film might be stretching it a bit.

From what I can tell, a lot of old timey music is from the 1920's & 30's, from musicians like Charlie Poole, et al, who got a good deal of their repertoire from sheet music isssued around the turn of the century (1900), not from 1860 era.

Your choices for the three leads are interesting. I like Matthew M. and had forgotten about Juliette Lewis - she would be good.
However, I think J Lo and Ben Affleck would be a better pairing ! :)